Rocket League

Play it on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Current goal: Hit platinum

I came back to Rocket League recently after a VERY long break and let me tell you, this game still rules. I think it’s still one of the all-time greats. At least top 25. The feel of the car, the thrill of the chase, and the satisfaction of doing bizarre aerial flips in the video game equivalent of a Hot Wheels just to smash a giant inflatable ball into a virtual net are all still top-notch. And unlike shooters, MOBAs, and fighting games, almost nothing actually ever changes.

There are always new things to buy. Right now the game has been taken over by Hatsune Miku, a virtual pop star I’ve never listened to in my life, but whose in-game music I’ve already spent $8 on. And while seasons come and go and the economy around skins might evolve, the actual mechanics and physics of the game feel virtually the same as they did when it launched almost a decade ago. Hundreds of hours later I’m still in the trash gold tier, but there is no game I’d rather be playing with the buds late at night, even if it’s 1:00 a.m. ET and we just went 0-4. — Ethan Gach